Window construction



y 1954 A. B. EDWARDS, JR

WINDQW CONSTRUCTION Filed May 19, 1949 Q 5 m m ,5 z 1); my, m .w w z d W7. F a W W, Y A m a W. B 5 z w .T w Twiilflm beyond that which isfeasible. heavier gauge material for the closure could not 'be used tosecure this clamping effect because Patented May 18, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE WINDOW CONSTRUCTION Alfred B. Edwards, Jr., Plandome, N.Y.

Application May 19, 1949, Serial No. 94,162

9 Claims.

I This invention relates to closures for use with storm windows and thelike such as are usually installed in window casings on the outside ofthe conventional window sash. It relates particularly to devices forsecuring the window units in place and to the flashing or closureemployed to seal the space between the side of the storm .window unitand the adjacent wall of the Window casing or similar adjacentstructure. The inven- .tion is adapted for use in securing in place anystorm window or screen unit such, for example,

as the combination storm sash and screen unit described in my copendingapplication Serial #659,080, filed April 2, 1946, now Patent No.

2,589,635, patented March 18, 1952.

Closures for the purpose of securing such units in place and also"covering the gap at the side of the; unit are usually either of channelor angle shape. Mounting screws are arranged at intervals along theclosure strip, passing through holes .in the closure strip and anchoringin the wood .of the window stop or of the casing. Heretofore theclosures have been formed of thin gauge material in order to keep theweight and cost thereof at a minimum. Because of their thin characterthey can be made to exert little or no clamping action on the sash frameor equivalent member, because any tightening of the mounting screw toeffect such clamping action causes the closure strip to buckle and thematerial to pull in around the head of the screw which is tightened withthe result that the storm window unit is not clamped firmly as intended.If the closure strip is made up of material of sufficiently heavy gaugeto resist this pulling and deforming, the cost and weight of the closureare increased far Also, full length the mounting screw anchored in thewood of the house casing in its normal fashion would not havesufrlcientstrength or holding power to pull down a long length of closure strip ofsubstantial thickness, and clamping action would therefore not beachieved.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved flashing or closuredevice for fitting the storm window unit to the opening provided in theusual house window casing and to close the space between the storm sashunit and the adjacent wall of the window casing.

A further object is to provide an improved nashing or closure device forstorm window or place without requiring any heavier gauge material forthe closure strip than has heretore been employed.

A further object is to provide a flashing or closure device of the samelight gauge heretofore employed, or lighter gauge if desired, in whichthe window or sash frame can be securely clamped in place without havingany buckling effect on the closure strip.

A feature of the invention is the provision of one or more relativelyshort clip members of sufficiently heavy gauge material mounted on thecasing and arranged to engage the storm or similar unit to clamp theunit firmly in place. The term clip or clip member is used throughoutspecification and claims to indicate a short mounting member having alength substantially less than the length of the storm. window unit. Alight gauge closure strip is mounted on and supported by the clipmembers for closing the space between the unit and the window casing, orsimilar member.

On some old buildings, layer after layer of paint has been built up onthe window casing to such an extent that at times, the inside corner ofthe reveal into which the combination unit is to be fitted is filledwith paint deposits. This corner might have /4 thick or more paintdeposit continuous around the window. To fit the combination window andconventional closure means into this corner therefore becomes a long anddifficult undertaking as it is necessary to chop the hard paint depositsfrom this inside corner along its full length. A further feature of ourinvention is that such clearing and chipping of paint need only be doneat two or three points for a few inches on each side so as to get theclips seated properly into the corner formed by the side of the casingand the blind stop. t will be readily apparent therefore that the amountof labor required for installation is greatly minimized.

These and other objects and features are accomplished by the presentinvention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a closure or flashing constructed inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention and installed in awindow casing.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows, while Figs. 3 and 4 are modificationsillustrating different forms of clamping and support- 'ing clip members,also taken on the same line as screws Fig. 5 is a broken sectional viewshowing the top and bottom portions of the installation, andillustrating one manner of sealing the space at the top of thecombination window unit.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the form of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown in connection witha frame opening or reveal 12 in which a vertical structural member I3 ofthe combination or window unit Isa isfitted. As illustrated the windowunit 23a is supported by having its lower end bear on the outside sillof the house window. Between the two-such vertical members It (therebeing one at each side of the house window), a removable super-sill orfiller board 14 is imposed which rests .on :the outer sill of the housewindow. This filler board M is so adjusted in height so as to make upfor the variations in sill drop which occur between windows of variedconstruction. This filler board extends full width between the oppositevertical structural members ll 3 and acts as the base or sill piece onwhich rests the lower insert panel Ma, either sash or screen,ofthe-eombin-atlon unit.

- In the present invention, the structural members it, are held inposition by securing means which both secures the members in place andsupports the closure or flashing strip employed to seal the spacebetween the members and the adjacent structure or casing. In thisarrangement the closure strip is freed of all clamping pressure so thatno buckling or deforming of the strip takes place. As illustrated inFigs. 1, 2 and 6, a plurality of substantially U-shaped clip mem bers R5are positioned at spaced intervals along the window casing soas toreceive between the side arms of the clips the adjacent edge of the unitor structural member it. As illustrated, the outside arm of the Umay'have a tapered edge H.

The clip members l5 are formed of sufficiently heavy gauge material tosecurely clamp the window unit in place without deforming theclipmembers or pulling in the material thereof around the head of thefastening means such A light gauge closure strip *2! is mounted on clipmembers [5 and extends along the vertical structural members 13" tobridge the space at the side of the unit, for example, between suchmembers and the adjacent window casing. The edges 22 of the stripadjacent-the unit member is is bent in a U-shape to embrace the taperededges ll of the supporting clipmembers Hi and be pressed thereby intosealingengagement with the frame. Because the clip edges are tapered thestripedge 22- can be bent on a small radius to give a pleasingappearance. The outer edge of the strip has an inwardly directed flange23 bent substantially at a right angle and positioned between the web ofthe U-shaped clip members It and the adacent window casing l2 so that itis held tightly inplace against the casing wall.

The U-shaped clips thus indirectly secure in position the wholecombination assembly. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 6, clampingscrews !8 extend through the closure strip 2! and both arms of theU-shaped clip members into the window casing 95 or similar structure. Bytightening the screws, the arms of the-clips engage and hold the windowunit and press the edge of the closure strip 2! into engagement with theunit. The clips in such cases are only of such length as will permit,within the holding. power of the screws, the drawing together of theoutstanding arms of the clip in such fashion as to clamp the structuralmember l3 between the arms. The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 does notdepend on the'mounting screw to increase the clamping pressure as inthis form the screws extend through the web, and the clip is preformedwith the one or both arms at angles to the web of less than so that theoutstanding arms hold the unit structure in a clinchlike manner becauseof the spring tension of thesezarms.

Fig. 3 shows a clip having a fiat web Mia, and shows in dotted lines theapproximate angle of the arms before positioning the structural member13 between them.

Fig. 4 shows a clip having an arched web [61), which. acts to press thearms into gripping engagement with the structural member l3 when theholding screw 811 is tightened, tending to flatten the base and bringthe arms together.

When the clips of Figs. 3 and 4 are used the window unit .is mounted byinserting .one .-edge into the clips and movingv it into engagement withthe bow of the U. This willperrnit thebthec edge of, the window to movepast the edge oi'the clips at the other side and the window then movedtoward said other clips and in between the arms of said other clips tosecurely hold the unit at each side.

It will be apparent that the clip members are of tom of the unit.However, as illustrated, i'n'Fig.

5, the space between the top of the combination unit .and the casing isclosed by a flashing or strip of angle form having one arm 25a securedto the upper face of the casing !2 by screWs'26 and the other arm 25bextending downwardly suffioientiy to engage the upper edge of the'windowunit. As illustrated, the upper edge of the end portion of the closurestrips 2| at each-side of the frame extends inside the arm 25b of thestrip 25.

' In constructions wherein the clips of Fi'gS.'3 and 4 are employed, theflange or arm 25b'isbent into overlapped relation after the unit isinserted into the clips.

It will be apparent that the number of'clip members to employed along agiven side of-the combination unit will depend upon the length of theunit and the length of the closure strip 2| to be mounted in place.Although the drawing illustrates three such clips along eachside of theinstallation a larger or a fewer number can be employed. The closurestrip 2i can be of even lighter gauge material than has heretofore beenpossible, thus saving a considerable amount of material, while at thesame time the clip members press the edge of the closure stripintosealing engagement with the window 'frameiand secure it in place withoutany buckling or deformation of the light-weight strip.

The invention can be variouslymodifiedtand adapted and portions of theimprovements ca be used without others.

I claim: a

l. A closure for sealing the space between *9. storm window unit or thelike .andza'casing in which the unit -is positioned, comprising-armember of relatively heavy gauge material and of a length less than theunit mounted on the easing and located in said space and having portionsto extend over so as to engage and secure a window unit in position; anda separate closure for said space comprising a facing strip ofrelatively light gauge material supported on said member so as to bridgesaid space between the unit and casing and extend along the window unitfor the full length thereof.

2. A closure for sealing the space between a storm window unit or thelike and a casing in which the unit is positioned, comprising a clipmember of relatively heavy gauge material mounted on the casing andpositioned in said space and having an outer and an inner arm extendingover and engaging and holding a window unit in place; and a closure forsaid space comprising a facing strip of relatively light gauge materialsupported on the outer arm of said member so as to bridge said space andextend along the window unit for the full length thereof.

3. A closure for sealing the space between a storm window unit or thelike and a casing in which the unit is positioned, comprising a memberof relatively heavy gauge material mounted on the casing and positionedin said space and having arms extending over and engaging and holding awindow unit in place; a closure for said space comprisinga facing stripof relatively light gauge material supported on the arms of said memberso as to bridge said space and extend along the window unit; and meansextending through said strip and said cli member for securing the clipand strip together and to the casing.

4. A closure for sealing the space between a storm window unit or thelike and a casing in which the unit is positioned, comprising a U-shaped clip member having an outer and an inner arm and a baseconnecting said arms, said clip member being adapted to be secured tosaid casing and positioned in said space and having the base of the Uadjacent the casing, and unit engaging arms extending therefrom toengage and secure the unit in place; and a closure strip of relativelylight gauge material bridging said space and extending along said unit,one edge of said strip extending around the end of the outer arm of saidclip member so that said arm presses said edge of the strip against saidunit and the other edge of the strip extends between the base of the Uand the casing, and fastening means securing the clip to the casing,said clip clamping the other edge of the strip against the casing.

5. A closure for sealing the space between a storm window unit or thelike and a casing in which the unit is positioned, comprising a U-shaped clip member having an outer and an inner arm and a baseconnecting said arms, said clip member being secured to said casing andpositioned in said space with the edge of the unit positioned betweenand engaged by the arms thereof to hold the unit in position; a closurestrip of relatively light gauge material supported on the outer arm ofsaid clip member so as to bridge said space and extend along the unit,one edge of aid strip extending around the end of said outer arm; andfastening means for the clip pressing said arm and the edge of the stripinto engagement with said unit.

6. The invention as defined in claim :2 wherein said outer arm of theclip member is tapered to the end thereof and the edge of said facingstrip is substantially U-shaped to extend around said tapered end.

7. A closure for sealing the space between a storm window unit or thelike and a casing in which the unit is positioned, comprising aplurality of U-shaped clip members of relatively heavy gauge materialmounted in spaced relation in said casing, each clip member having innorand outer arms adapted to extend over and secure said unit in thecasing; a closure for the space between said unit and said casingcomprising a facing strip of relatively light gauge material adapted tobe supported on the outer arms of said clip members so as to bridge saidspace and extend along substantially the full length of the window unitwith one edge of the strip bearing on said unit; and mean extendingthrough said facing strip and said clip members for securing the same tothe casing and pressing said clip members into engagement with saidunit.

8. A closure for sealing the space between a storm window unit or thelike and a casing in which the unit is positioned, comprising incombination a plurality of U-shaped clip members of relatively heavygauge material positioned in said space, each of said clip membershaving inner and outer arms which extend over and engage the edge ofsaid unit and a base connecting said arms; a closure strip of relativelylight gauge material supported on the outer arms of said clip members soas to bridge said space and extend along the unit; and means extendingthrough the base of each of said clip members for securing said membersto the casing.

9. A closure for sealing the space between a storm window unit and thelike and a casing in which the unit is positioned, comprising aplurality of mounting members, each comprising a U-shaped clip memberpositioned in said space and having a base with extending outer andinnor arms adapted to overlie the edge of the unit located between andgripped by the arms of the clip, said base being bowed in the form of anarch between the arms; means extending through the arched bows of theclips for securing the clips to the casing and for adjusting thegripping pressure of the arms on the unit; and a closure strip ofrelatively light gauge material extending along the side of the unit andsupported on the outer arms of the clip members so as to bridge andclose said space between the unit and casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,614,156 Schmidt Jan. 11, 1927 1,823,085 Campbell Sept. 15,1931 1,989,305 Bartuska et a1 Jan. 29, 1935 2,156,964 Biddle May 2, 19392,172,580 Hettinger Sept. 12, 1939 2,326,897 Stowe Aug. 17 19432,4c2,l12 Gee June 11, 1946 2,430,172 Kammerer Nov. 11, 1947 2,563,058Neustadt Aug. 7, 1951

